


Idiot: A Star Wars Love Story

by artistic_haven



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Shy Luke, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, because i ruin them, especially cassian, everybody is so done, everyone is battle-weary, it's a love story between two idiots, luke likes herbal tea, protective cassian, space is gay, the later chapters are really angsty so have fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2018-09-12 03:43:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9053836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artistic_haven/pseuds/artistic_haven
Summary: “Idiot.” It was a murmur, barely audible over the sounds of life surrounding them, but for Luke, it was all he could hear.





	1. I can't help falling in love with you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blubaron](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blubaron/gifts).



> This was done as a gift to my cousin for Christmas, since we're broke trash. It was also done in one day, and so it's gonna be riddled with mistakes. Merry Christmas to you, and to anyone else who celebrates Christmas, and to people who don't, have a great holiday!

No one expected Commander Luke Skywalker, Jedi, to fall in love with Captain Cassian Andor, rebel fighter. Everyone hoped it to be true. At first, they all thought it was a joke Princess Leia and Captain Solo made up to 'boost team morale'. The two would loudly talk about relationships they thought were cute or wouldn't last to dispel tension in difficult situations, and Luke and Cassian were always in the 'cute' category.  
It became somewhat of a running joke on the base, with people slyly mentioning the rebel Captain whenever Skywalker walked past. He would stare blankly at whoever brought it up, while Leia, who was usually sent to fetch her useless brother, would roll her eyes and pull Luke away by the arm. They had no idea that Luke, too absorbed in trying to make pears float, hadn't read any of the mission files that Leia had sent him, all of them giving detailed accounts of who Cassian was and what his various accomplishments were.  
It was a shock when Luke learned he would be meeting the team that retrieved the plans to the Death Star. Leia told him over breakfast one morning, and Luke spat out his green tea all over Han, who looked simultaneously like he wanted to choke the kid and laugh. (Han became more furious when Lando let out a snort of laughter from beside him.) So of course, Luke rushed back to his room and dug through every item of clothing he had before settling on what he was already wearing. He raced out of his room, nearly crashing into R2D2. Apparently, the droid had come looking for him.  
“Luke, there you are. I have some people I want you to meet. This is Jyn Erso, Bodhi Rook, Baze Malbus and Chirrut Imwe. The droid is called K2SO. The one with the cool jacket is Captain Cassian Andor, he’s in charge of Rogue One. Everyone, this is my idiot brother Luke. He saved the galaxy…”  
Luke eventually tuned his sister out, sizing up each of the soldiers in front of him. Cassian was the prettiest, he decided, as well as the one who didn’t look like he wanted to murder Luke. Naturally gravitating to the nicest one in the room, the young Jedi shook the Captain’s hand. Andor’s hand was warm and soft, his brown eyes searching Luke’s. They held the position for a while, neither of them saying anything, but both fascinated by the other, before they were interrupted by R2D2 speeding past them, followed by C-3PO.  
“Shit! I’m really sorry, those are my droids. I swear they get in trouble just to annoy me.”  
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll help you find them. I know how difficult droids can be.” Cassian’s accent was surprising, but not unwelcome. Luke smiled a real, bright smile, before tearing off after the droids. Cassian was keeping perfect pace with him, and Luke grinned, turning around to face Cassian. He showed off with the force, gliding backwards.  
“Don’t you need to see where you’re going?” Cassian asked.  
“I know this place like the back of my hand,” Luke reassured. Everything would have been fine, had it not been for the fact that Luke did not know the base like the back of his hand. It wasn’t long before he tripped over something behind him, falling face first toward the ground. He managed to catch himself, breaking the worst of his fall. Strong arms wrapped around his, helping him up and pulling him into a relatively upright position. Luke followed the arms to shoulders, then to the face of Cassian, his brown eyes twinkling with amusement. The Jedi blushed, turning a brilliant shade of fire engine red, and looked down at the ground.  
“Idiot.” It was a murmur, barely audible over the sounds of life surrounding them, but for Luke, it was all he could hear. Luke looked up into Cassian’s face, searching it for any signs of malice. Not finding any, he broke into a stupid grin; he pulled Cassian toward the hangar, the opposite direction to where 3PO and Artoo were.  
The hangar was for Luke what many people called home. It was where he spent all his time when not on missions, usually tending to his beloved Red-Five, or else helping Han or Chewie with repairs on the Falcon. Those moments were usually spent in comfortable silences occasionally punctuated by requests for certain tools. Other times, if Luke felt adventurous enough, he would climb up to the top and watch everything unfold below.  
Turning once more to look at Cassian, he placed a hand on one of the support beams closer to the ground.  
“Do you trust me?” he asked. Cassian raised an eyebrow.  
“I… guess?”  
“Great. We’re climbing to the top.”  
“Wha- Luke- no wait-“ but Cassian was already being pushed toward the beam by Luke. He sighed, wondering how Princess Leia and the other senior officers managed to put up with him, before beginning his climb to the top. 

______________________

Cassian had to admit, the view was something that made the climb worth every step. He could see everything across the hangar, from the workers’ entrance to the great bay doors that were busy letting different transport vehicles in and out. This particular vantage point was quiet, and getting lost in thought would not be a hard task. Cassian felt Luke come up behind him.  
“This is where I go to get away. From the noise, the action, from…” From the war. The last thought went unsaid. They both knew how it felt, being heroes. Being the heroes that were treasured, the ones constantly asked about the war by unassuming fans. It was bad enough they had to be reminded of the people they lost at the worst times, then to have a stranger remind them… Cassian suddenly admired Luke’s ability to still be a child, even if it was unintentional.  
“I can see why you like it here. Tell me, do many people know about this place?” Luke blushed again, which Cassian thought was adorable, then shook his head.  
“Not even Han and Leia. I like being able to disappear, without being alone.”  
Cassian simply smiled at the blonde boy. He had the strangest feeling he would love getting to know Luke.


	2. I just want to watch the stars with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was Cassian’s turn to laugh. They sat there in silence, neither of them knowing what to say, both too shy to say anything else.

It was two weeks after their first greeting, and already Cassian and Luke were working closely together. They had sabotaged the group lists several times so they would work shifts together, patrolling the base, making sure everything was in order. The two mainly spent this time talking, or finding a place they could talk freely. Cassian learned several things he never imagined. For example, Luke’s favourite tea was blueberry and mint, and he hardly ever slept in his quarters. He preferred to be out and about, letting himself fall asleep in some corner hardly patrolled by the day shift.  
“You do realise that that’s slightly dangerous?” Cassian frowned. They were sitting on an observation deck, watching the stars pass over them, towards another planet, another sky.  
“No one really bothers me. I think they know that if they do, they’ll have to answer to Leia. Most rookies fear her. I don’t blame them, she’s terrifying when she wants to be.”  
Luke gave a little chuckle. It was slightly bitter, as if he hated the idea of depending on his sister for protection. He shook his head and sighed.  
“I can’t be mad. It works, and besides, they just haven’t seen my skills with a lightsaber.” It was Cassian’s turn to laugh. They sat there in silence, neither of them knowing what to say, both too shy to say anything else. Luke leaned against Cassian, shivering slightly. The captain pulled a blanket from under the stool next to them and wrapped it around them, making sure most of it was covering Luke. The young Jedi snuggled in closer to Cassian, his face on Cassian’s chest.

When Luke woke up several hours later, he was shocked to find that he was warmer than usual. There was a blanket around him, and chatter coming from the door. He twisted himself slightly, trying to hear what was being said.  
“You have to go around,” Cassian said. “This area is temporarily out of bounds.”  
“But sir, we have to get this to General Solo before ten am. This is the quickest way there for a load this size.” The young private sounded adamant, clearly not wanting to back down.  
“Well you may tell the General that it’s in his best interest to go around the observation deck until further notice. You may also tell him that you were late because you didn’t have the brains to get a holo-cart before leaving.” With that, Cassian shut the door. Luke felt his friend’s frustration coming off him in waves. As Cassian approached to check if Luke was sleeping, he used the force to pull Cassian back onto the bench.  
The captain ruffled his hair fondly, smiling into Luke’s neck. “Idiot,” he mumbled.  
“I don’t need protecting from a bunch of rookies,” Luke mumbled, still mostly asleep.  
“You’re too shy to confront them, so someone has to.”  
Luke was about to say something witty, but he was cut off by an announcement.  
“Would all senior commanding officers please report to the main recreation room. Repeat, would all senior commanding officers please report to the main recreation room. Repeat…”  
“That’s us,” Luke said, sitting up rather reluctantly. A blast of cold air greeted him, making him shiver even more.  
“Why does our base have to be on an ice planet?” He said, mainly for his own benefit. Cassian chuckled from behind him, grabbing their parkas from the floor. Luke pulled his on, grateful for the warmth, then followed Cassian out.  
_______________________________

“Cass, wait up,” Luke panted. Cassian’s legs were longer, making it harder to keep up. However, at the sound of a nickname being used, Cassian stopped. Luke nearly ran into him, instead falling to the side.  
“What did you call me?” he asked.  
“Cass. I figured, since we’re friends, and since I can barely keep up with you anyway, what’s the harm in having a nickname? That is okay, right? I mean, I don’t have to call you that, I- I’m rambling, sorry.”  
“Don’t be. I like that nickname. Besides, you’re cute when you blush.”  
If Luke had been red before, he was positively glowing crimson.  
“Idiot,” Cassian said. He grabbed Luke’s hand and pulled him towards the rec room. They sat down in a corner just as the lights dimmed and Princess Leia stood up. She glared in their direction, and Cassian grinned cheekily, before starting.  
“As you are all aware, the Empire is attempting to build a weapon more powerful than anything we have seen before. They’re being careful about it, they aren’t revealing anything to anyone about what it looks like, what it does, what it is… all we know is that whatever it is, it’s going to be big. I need some volunteers to do a little reconnaissance.”  
Luke immediately raised his hand. Several pairs of eyes turned to look at him. He felt like he was an organism under a telescope for a biology class to scrutinize with the way their eyes seemed to bore into his skull. But Luke didn’t back down. Instead, he looked directly at Leia, his head held high, practically challenging her and anyone else to argue.  
“Great,” she said, a soft smile playing on her lips. “anyone else?”  
Slowly, very slowly, a few others raised their hands. First, it was Cassian, then Lando, Chewie, and then Han, who looked extremely upset at his mutinous first mate. Leia, to no one’s surprise, raised her hand.  
“It’s settled, then,” she said. “I will accompany the other volunteers to the Imperial base. We’ll gather information, and return here. Alright, everyone, move out.” Everyone started to move, most of the officers returning to their previous duties, while the recon crew stayed behind.  
Leia went through the motions. No one currently gathered was in any way a stranger to dangerous missions, but it was protocol, and Leia was a princess. She grew up in a world of propriety and order, and no matter how much she hated it, Leia was a slave to her subconscious habits just as much as everyone else. It was part of the reason she rebelled so often and in such a serious way, not wanting to stick to the basic princess image. However she was raised, whoever her friends were, Leia would never be a soldier, not fully. As she sent the others out to go prepare, Leia couldn’t help but wonder how her life would have been different, had she not been separated from Luke at birth. Sighing, Leia followed the others out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know the end tilted a bit towards Leia, but I felt that the other twin's subconscious would be fascinating to write about. I really hope you all enjoyed it!


	3. I will change you like a remix

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I took almost a year away from this, partly cause I had no inspiration, but mainly cause things happened in my life, and I didn't have a chance to update. Anyway, I have inspiration, but I should probably say that this chapter is gonna be a lot less crack-fic, and lot more angst-fic. But hey, that's what happens when you grow up.

There was an air of strained silence as the recon crew sat in the back of the cargo ship. Luke was looking out to the horizon with a calculating expression, his hands clenched on his lap. His shoulders were tense, his disguise uncomfortably warm. The Imperial uniforms they all had to wear were painful reminders of what each of them lost, and it was in no way making Luke's mood any better. 

The Imperial space station was looming closer with every second. For a moment, Luke felt like hijacking the controls and flying straight past, but the thought disappeared as quickly as it came. He shook his head slightly. They couldn't afford to think like that. 

_ Pull yourself together, Luke _ . 

Uncle Owen’s voice rang out in his head, and Luke suddenly felt himself reel forward. The emotions he’d pushed down, tried to bury, were threatening to spill out again, and  _ he couldn’t let that happen, he was the rebellion’s new hope, he couldn’t show weakness, not now- _

A hand gripped his, warm and soft and  _ familiar,  _ and it was all Luke could do to not grab it and squeeze it. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and looked at the man to his right. Cassian was smiling at him, reassuring, real. The mere presence of another body helped Luke ground himself, and he felt his breathing even out. It wasn’t a permanent fix; there wouldn’t be one. These scars would be carried forever, but it was the best solution for the moment. 

  
  
  


After what felt like a lifetime, the shuttle touched down, jostling the passengers slightly. Leia looked at her crew, the small group all looking grim. 

“Right, you all know what to do. Chewie, you’re staying here, you’re too recognisable. We need someone as a getaway pilot, anyway. Han, you’re with me. Lando, go with Luke and Cassian.” 

Leia seemed reluctant to make the group split up, but in smaller groups of two and three, it would be far less conspicuous. The rest all nodded bleakly, and quietly finished preparing. Luke was fumbling with his belt, still a little shaken, and Cassian stood next to him, their shoulders brushing. It was the silent solidarity that Cassian knew how to provide, and he hoped it was enough. Enough for this kid, who had fallen into the rebellion, but was too noble to back out, who had sacrificed everything for a cause he had previously been too naive to notice. The moment passed quickly, however, as the hatch opened and the ramp descended. Luke pulled his helmet on, then nodded at Cassian, who had done the same. The two of them were the first ones down the ramp, and were followed by Lando, then Han and Leia. The groups split up, and the mission began. 

Cassian was hyper-aware of the mass of bodies around them. He kept scanning his peripherals for any exits, marking every hallway and door they passed.  _Twelve down, turn left, first door._ The directions to the nearest computer terminal played on a loop in his head. He glanced to his right, where Luke was. The kid was keeping up, which wasn't a surprise, but whatever he was thinking was impossible to decipher, the helmet blocking Cassian's view of his eyes. He had learned earlier that Luke and Leia shared this uncanny ability to maintain deceptively charming facades, while their eyes continuously betrayed their feelings. 

Cassian realised with a jolt that they were at the right place, and he opened the door, hoping that the terminal was empty. He was greeted with a larger bank of computers, incessant beeping that was already getting on his nerves, and three uniformed bodies, their backs turned. Immediately, the three sprang into action. Luke activated his saber and struck the first one down before they could attempt to move, Cassian shot the second just as fast, and Lando punched the third in the face. It was enough to cause the soldier to drop their blaster, and Lando took it and shot them. 

"Seal the room," Luke said. He moved around the computers, saber still in hand, bending over a console. Lando did so, took his post as guard by the door. Cassian made his way to where Luke was standing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!


	4. I will raise you like a phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> companion to the last chapter, following Han and Leia instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at this! Two chapters at once! It's a miracle I tell you, a miracle! 
> 
> Also, to clear up the timeline, this is before the end of ROTJ (obviously) but also before the final mission. So, like, Luke has a fake hand and a green saber, but he isn't busy getting Han off Tatooine, because in this fic Han was never frozen. Just accept it.

Han and Leia practically ran through the station, trying to look as professional as they could. The uniforms they were wearing were bulky and hot and, frankly, inconvenient, and why were these standard issue anyway? Han shook his head, focused on the mission at hand. There was so much that could go wrong. They could be found out, someone could die, the others could lose communications, and then they would be well and truly fucked. It wasn't a case of Han not trusting them; Lando may have been sketchy at one point, but he was on their side now, and Cassian was more than capable of looking after himself. Luke was too, if Han was honest, with the Force on his side and a mechanical hand, and determination that rivalled Leia's. It was the thought of Luke being stretched to his limits, of never seeing the kid smile, that killed him.

Han loved him like a brother and made sure everyone knew it.  _Maybe you will be brothers one day,_ said the annoying voice in his head. It was the emotional voice, the one that sounded oddly like Leia.  _Shut up,_ Han thought, then stopped as he realised he was telling his own subconscious to be quiet. 

"Han, in here," Leia hissed. She grabbed his arm and dragged him into a room. Han was about to yell in protest, until he noticed where they were. They were just off the hall from the meeting room. There was a speaker and a two-way mirror, offering them a look into whatever was happening without being seen. If Cassian knew anything about Imperial computers like he claimed, he would be remotely patching in a feed from the conference room into their little corner, so they could hear what was happening. Han was lookout, since he apparently was better suited for that role, and who was he to argue with royalty? Stationed at the door, Han could hear the sounds of officers speaking behind him. The urge to turn around and start shooting through the glass was powerful, especially if it protected his family, but he knew if he stayed in his position he would do more good. 

 

 

The hours ticked by, and the stupid meeting didn't seem to want to end. Han was about to consider leaving and walking around and earning a glare from Leia, when something caught his attention through the speakers. 

"General, we have a situation in one of the computer terminals on the south wing."

"What is it, Lieutenant?" The man sounded bored, as if these interruptions were frequent, and rarely accurate. Han felt the mounting worry in his chest, hoping that they decided it was a blip in the system, or  _something_ , that they didn't take it seriously and decide to check.

"It seems that there is some sort of fight happening, sir." Han and Leia locked eyes. They picked up their blasters, Leia hid away her recorder, and they sped out of their room.

 

 

Luke had been shoved down behind a row of computers by Cassian, who was standing above him, blaster raised. Lando was across from them, shooting at as many officers as he could, taking them down as they came in. Cassian was helping as much as possible without ignoring his need to  _keep Luke safe, keep him alive_. It wasn't a need he felt for the Rebellion; right now, he couldn't care less what they thought. It was a need he felt solely for Luke. Sure, Cassian felt responsible for the Rogue One crew, but they had proved time and time again that they didn't need his protection. Luke had shown that too. His skills with a Lightsaber were proof enough of that, but still Cassian felt like if he didn't at least  _try_ to protect Luke, he would blame himself for the pilot's death. Cassian dropped down to avoid blaster fire, nearly falling on Luke. 

Their eyes met, and time froze. Cassian stared into determined blue eyes, eyes full of fondness, fierceness, loyalty. Luke placed a hand on Cassian's arm, trying to communicate in a single touch that they would do better together. Cassian understood, gave Luke a single reluctant nod, and shuffle back slightly so they could both move. 

"Captain Andor, Luke, there's no time to be weird and lovey-dovey!" Lando's voice rang out to them, snapping them both out of the moment, and Cassian threw himself across the room, diving behind some destroyed equipment. He saw Luke roll away out of sight; Cassian's heart constricted, but he did his best to focus on the ensuing battle. 

They were doing fairly well, he thought, until some alarm went off, and what looked like the entire armed guard of the Emporer himself appeared. 

_Shit._

This was not good. Cassian peeked out over the edge of his cover, and fired as many shots as he could. 

 


	5. Does anybody know what we are living for?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke stopped being a child before he had the chance to grow up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What??? I'm back??? How the heck???
> 
> chapter title from The Show Must Go On by Queen.

Han and Leia arrived at the terminal to the worst case scenario that there could have been. Luke was swinging his Saber, blocking every shot he could, while striking down as many officers and troopers as his powers would let him; in his defence, it was quite the spectacle. His abilities were hardly exaggerated, and the Force seemed to be guiding him well enough that had he been alone, it would have been obvious that he didn't need much help. Cassian and Lando were offering support from hidden vantage points, effectively taking out those who somehow made it past Luke. Han jumped right in. He didn't want his friends, his  _family_ getting injured or captured. Leia stayed back, contacting Chewie. 

"Chewie, we need you to get ready to take off. Watch out for Stormtroopers, they'll be alerted to your presence." Leia got a roar in reply, and figured that was an acknowledgement. She crouched and ran, making her way to where Lando was crouching.

"Make your way to the hangar. Chewie's on standby, we don't need to be here longer than necessary." Lando nodded, and passed the message to Cassian. Now it was a case of getting Luke out without anyone really noticing. Had he not thrown himself into the battle so fully, it would have been easy to sneak out. As it was, his absence would be noticed. Leia was trying to figure out how, when a distraction was provided by the roar of a Wookie.

 _Bless him_ , Leia thought, for once thankful of Chewie's loyalty to Han. It was moments like these when it proved useful. 

The roar drew away enough troopers that Leia was able to grab her brother's arm and pull him out, running for the ship. They headed up the ramp, Leia turning and waiting for the others. Luke made his way to the cockpit; he started up pre-flight routines as the others came tumbling in, first Cassian, then Lando, Han and Chewie bringing up the rear. As soon as Chewie's head cleared the ramp, Leia closed it, and the ship lifted off. 

No one fully relaxed until they were in space. There had been several tense minutes of maneuvering away from TIE fighters, but they were finally in the relative safety of hyperspace, the stars a blur outside. Luke had given up the pilot's chair to Han in favour of looking out the window. He was being broody, as Leia would call it; not saying anything and looking off to who knew where, and it wasn't like him. At least, it wasn't like the bright-eyed, naive  _child_ who had won a fight in a war. It wasn't like the kid who was so full of wonder, who had never seen so much green before Yavin, who was coming to terms with the fact that extreme cold was just as unbearable as the opposite. 

But Luke wasn't a child.

He had stopped being a child when the Stormtroopers had killed his aunt and uncle. He had stopped being a child when he broke into the Death Star, when he subsequently destroyed it, and lost one of his best friends in the process. Luke stopped being a child before he had the chance to grow up. It killed the part of him that wanted to fly all day, that didn't care if he was being whiny, because he was a teenager, that was allowed. But there was an even bigger part that had been ready to move on, to fight for the freedom of the galaxy, and if that meant sacrificing his own sleep schedule for those who were unable to fight, then Luke wouldn't hesitate. 

Luke was taken out of his thoughts when a mug of something steamy was held in front of him. Sluggishly, he blinked and looked up at Cassian, who looked back impassively. The soldier nodded to the mug, and Luke took it. It was chamomile.

"I heard you like tea," Cassian mumbled. He was blushing slightly. It was adorable. Luke sighed, took a sip. His eyes fluttered closed as he let the taste wash over him. It felt liberating in a way, washing out the battle, the sounds of blasters, the screams, until all that was left was the ship humming below him, and the feel of Cassian standing next to him. 

"Do you ever feel tired?" Luke still hadn't opened his eyes. Had Cassian not been standing there, had they not just left a battle, it wouldn't have made any sense. But Cassian continued to peer at him before he continued. 

"All the time. I've been in this fight for a while."

"How do you keep going?"

There was a pause. Cassian looked out the window.

"Because I'm not doing it for myself. I'm doing it for the galaxy, for my family, for the people who never made it out. They're the ones that keep me going."

"And when they don't? When you're so tired of-of  _everything_ that nothing helps? What then?" Luke was agitated now, looking at Cassian with wide eyes. 

"Then I think about the people who came before me. The ones who sacrificed everything they had for me. I think about the people who'll come after me, and the people who I love who are standing right next to me, fighting with me because they know that life is hard, and gruelling, and nothing will go your way, but that doesn't stop them because they believe in a future, and they believe in  _me_." The thinly-veiled message was not lost on Luke, who was standing slack-jawed, sputtering. Cassian pressed on.

"And when they're lost, when they've given up, I'm right there cheering them on, because  _I know._ I know how hard it is, but I love them, so I'm there for them. And I hope to the Force that that's enough, because I would be lost without them." His voice had gone soft, and he had taken Luke's free hand in his. 

Luke was crying. Cassian had basically just professed his love, but Luke was crying, and they were in space, and that was okay. There would be time for love songs later.

 


	6. If your heart wears thin, I will hold you up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter of healing and love, so I want to dedicate this to my best friend (who will never read this). They've stuck by me through everything, and I don't know where I would be without them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I have inspiration after all. Also, please feel free to leave comments! I want to know what you think! If it's bad though, please be nice about it I have fragile self-esteem.
> 
> Also the last bit of the last chapter may have been somewhat self-indulgent? Sorry?
> 
> chapter title from Beside You by Marianas Trench

The silence stretched out between them, Luke staring up at Cassian. His tears had dried, leaving the tracks on his cheeks shining dully. It was getting awkward now. Cassian was painfully aware of Lando in the background, valiantly trying to pretend like he couldn't hear every word. Finally,  _finally,_ Luke broke the silence. 

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"For being here." Cassian smiled softly.

 

 

 

Han tried not to look at Leia. He tried not to think about how he'd been too concerned with her life, caring too much about whether she lived or died. Sure, they were friends, if the term was used loosely, but Han had never really considered them close. He suspected it was a case of not wanting to admit how he felt. That was almost always the answer. He took a moment; every action, every word they had exchanged led to this conclusion. They hadn't behaved like two people who belonged together, they barely acted like they got along, so why was this all Han could think about? 

"Han..."

Han snapped his head up, looking straight at Leia, breaking the one rule he set for himself. Leia looked nervous, and no,  _that wasn't good, Leia didn't get nervous, why was she-_

"I was terrified the entire time we were in that base that something would happen to you. I mean, I was worried about Luke, and the others, obviously, but I kept thinking that if something happened to you, I would never forgive myself. I mean, I know it's crazy, you can look after yourself, just... arghh, I don't know. It doesn't make sense." There was a pause that lasted exactly seven heartbeats. Han heard himself speak before he realised what had happened.

"Love doesn't make sense. Not for us, anyway."

Leia smiled, ducked her head. She sighed. 

"You're right. Somehow, you, of all people, are right." Han's cocky smile was back on his face and Leia wanted to slap it off. Things were back to normal.

 

 

 

Lando felt someone sit next to him. He smelled chamomile. Luke didn't say anything for a moment. 

"You okay? I know the battle was pretty tough." Lando nodded. He couldn't speak, fearing his voice would betray just how much he was not fine. Maybe it was the Force, or maybe Luke was that good at reading people. Either way, the Jedi placed a hand on Lando's shoulder. The friendly gesture was something Lando hadn't experienced since, god,  _too long_ , and he was glad that he had friends who cared. Lando had never set much store by friends, thinking they were overrated, but Luke... Luke was different. They had become close while working together. They liked the same things, and Luke had taught Lando the vales of bravery. Despite what the smuggler had just seen, he still believed that Luke was one of the bravest people he had met, except the rest of the recon group. 

Their friendship was one he valued, and he couldn't lie, not to Luke. Lando's shoulders shook, he gasped in a breath, trying to mask the sob that clawed its way out. He collapsed forward, his hands covering his face, the tears burning. Luke pulled him into a hug. They were alright, Lando realised. They were all okay, and alive, and somehow in one piece, which was the true miracle. Han and Leia were okay, Chewie was unharmed, Cassian was okay, and Luke, even though he had broken, he was there, he was put together again, he would be okay. 

 _Lando would be okay._ They all would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea of Lando and Luke bonding and becoming good friends, which we only saw a glimpse of in one scene of ROTJ. So I put it in, cause this is my very self-indulgent fic. Don't worry, next chapter will include Luke and Cassian hanging out on their own and more happy feels.


End file.
